This sounds exactly like Dare to be Digital, except that you have to develop a mobile game. I never liked Dare, their terms and conditions were dubious.
One thing I suggest you doing is registering on Digital Tutors, they have a variety of tutorials that will help you get better and learn new techniques
" most people rely heavily on the smudge tool." Having watched hundreds of digital artists paint and being around for a long time, this just isn't true
Various examples for vector art, digital painting and pixel art. -- Indie game art services. Affordable, professional. desixstudios.com Contact: desixstudios@outlook.com Social: twitter.com/desixstudios facebook.com/desixstudios
Have you taken a look at the Digital Human example project on Marketplace? I found that a great resource to breakdown an approach to rendering skin realistically in Unreal.